(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an industrial robot, and a method of positioning the same as to be capable of traveling with a truck, and more particularly to an industrial robot and a method of positioning the same so as to be automatically positioned with respect to a workpiece.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In the case that an industrial robot of such type capable of self-traveling by use of traveling truck, such as a spray robot for spraying a refractory material (e.g., rock wool) and cement, etc. and a coating robot is positioned with respect to a workpiece such as a wall surface and a beam, a known method is generally employed for positioning the robot by wireless induction means using as a guide an induction wire laid on the ground and a floor.
However, such a conventional positioning method using the wireless induction means is not satisfactory in terms of accuracy of positioning, and cannot accurately correct the position of the robot in response to a charge in position of the workpiece. Further, the conventional method lacks means for correcting accumulated errors, and requires laying the induction wire on the floor, resulting in an increase in cost.
Especially, in recent buildings, there are many occasions that a refractory material such as rock wool is sprayed onto an iron beam or the like so as to improve fire resistance. Accordingly, a spray robot for carrying out such a spraying work, as noted above is required to perform highly accurate spraying work and therefore the conventional positioning method of the wireless induction type is not satisfactory.